KISSIMMEE, Fla. – With Alex Rodriguez safely tucked into the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic camp, the Yankees put their top two starting pitchers on display yesterday when baseball, not distractions, danced in the cool Florida air.

CC Sabathia threw a simulated game at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa in the morning and Chien-Ming Wang worked two innings in a 5-5 tie with the Astros at Osceola County Stadium in the afternoon.

No Rodriguez. No steroid talk. And no problems for Sabathia and Wang. Outside of being annoyed at a misbehaving cutter, Sabathia was pleased with the outing. And though Wang gave up too many balls in the air (four against eight batters), the sinkerball specialist didn’t surrender a run.

“It was my first time throwing to guys without a screen,” said Sabathia, who is scheduled to make his spring debut Friday night. “I was trying to get (the cutter) down. It takes time to get it right and ready for the season.”

Sabathia threw 28 pitches (19 strikes) to Kevin Cash and Hideki Matsui. Sabathia worked out of a windup during the first round and the stretch in the second and final session. Each time his fastball had more life than any other Yankees pitcher – Joba Chamberlain included – this spring.

“It’s good to see both of them healthy,” said manager Joe Girardi, who watched his studs work.

The Yankees dropped $161 million on Sabathia and $82.5 million on A.J. Burnett in order to rebuild a rotation that housed dull bulbs Sidney Ponson and Carl “American Idle” Pavano near the end of last year’s nightmare.

This year’s rotation also will include Andy Pettitte and Chamberlain, yet it will be Wang who will be the difference between a strong rotation and merely a good one.

Until a June 15 foot injury, suffered while running the bases in Houston, ended his 2008 season, Wang was on the way to another stellar year. He was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts after having won 19 games in each of the previous two seasons.

“I need more control; sometimes the ball was high,” said Wang, who broke to cover first base well in the second inning and exhibited no signs that his foot is an issue.

“I feel good. There is nothing wrong,” said Wang, who is likely to be Girardi’s No. 2 starter.

Wang’s unassuming nature and language barrier allow him to navigate the often stormy Yankees seas without much attention. Yet, when he went out last year, the Yankees turned to journeyman Dan Giese instead of acquiring a proven major league winner.

It was a strong indication the Yankees were holding on to their chips – players and money – for the offseason, when they bagged first baseman Mark Teixeira, Sabathia and Burnett.

“It’s tough to lose your No. 1 guy and he was pitching well,” catcher Jorge Posada said of Wang. “He is a guy we need out there.”

The Yankees need all five hurlers healthy and pitching effectively. Nobody wins titles with two great starters and three question marks.

Sabathia is the classic ace and Wang and Burnett are more than backup singers. Pettitte is in the twilight of a wonderful career and it’s only a guess whether Chamberlain is Josh Beckett waiting to happen.